AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aiden was sitting next to her, close enough for emotional support but out of the frame of the camera. He watched as Daisy rubbed her hands anxiously on her thighs and pasted on a forced smile just as her mother answered and her face appeared on the screen. From his angle, he saw a woman with short brown hair and green eyes like Daisy, but that’s where the similarities ended. Their facial features were distinctly different, making Aiden assume that Daisy had taken on more of her father’s traits.
“Hi, Mom,” Daisy said, and Aiden knew her well enough to know she was trying hard to be upbeat. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” the other woman said with a shrug, her tone lacking any enthusiasm over hearing from her daughter. “And you?”
“I’m good.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before going on and filling the silence. “I’ve been busy at work . . . but I did call to tell you something I wanted you to know.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” she asked, her tone only mildly interested in what she had to say.
Aiden could see that Daisy’s nerves were close to overwhelming her, and he took one of the hands she was still rubbing against her thigh and held it securely in his. She briefly glanced his way, and he mouthed the words “You’ve got this” to her.
She returned her gaze to the iPhone screen. “I’m pregnant,” she said, her voice hoarse, as if she’d had to force the news out of her. “Almost three months along.”
The silence on the other end was long and deafening. Panic washed over Daisy’s face, and he squeezed her hand, giving her the anchor she seemed to need as they both waited agonizingly long seconds for some kind of response.
“Jesus, Daisy,” her mother finally said, her harsh tone expressing her disappointment. “Have I not taught you better than this? Did you not learn anything from my mistakes? What was this, a one-night stand? Do you even know who the father is?”
Daisy sucked in a startled breath, her fingers curling tight around Aiden’s hand. The bitterness spewing from the other woman was shocking, but it was her cruel, deliberately hurtful words to her own daughter that had Aiden’s blood boiling with fierce, protective anger. Before Daisy could gather her composure to answer her mother, Aiden scooted his chair closer to hers so that he was now part of the FaceTime chat, too, and put his arm possessively around Daisy’s shoulders.
Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise at seeing him, and instead of telling the other woman off like Aiden wanted to do, he decided to kill her with grace and kindness, because despite her horrible behavior, he wasn’t going to make the situation worse for Daisy.
He summoned a charming grin, though he doubted it would thaw this woman’s cold heart. “Yes, Daisy does know who the father is,” he said amicably. “That would be me, Ms. Parker, and it’s nice to meet you. I’m Aiden Stone, and I can assure you that I take my obligation to this child very seriously.”
Her thin lips pursed caustically, and she looked from him back to her daughter with a narrowed gaze. “I can’t believe you’ve gotten yourself in this predicament. Mark my words, Daisy. He’s not going to stick around. They never do once they’ve knocked you up, no matter what they say. And you’re going to be the one to give up everything, your career included, to take care of this baby.”
“A baby who’s going to be your grandchild!” Daisy said, her voice rising in frustration. “Doesn’t that matter to you at all?”
Her mother stiffened indignantly, clearly not expecting her daughter to snap back. “I’m just thinking about you, Daisy, and how this going to affect your future.”
“No, you’re thinking about you and how I screwed up your future,” Daisy replied, obviously releasing years of pent-up anger and pain, and Aiden sat back and let her say what needed to be said. “But this baby, although not planned, will always come first and will never be made to feel like they were a mistake. I know it might be a struggle raising a baby as a single parent, but you know what? I’m going to do the best I can, with or without your support.”
Aiden had to resist the urge to tell Daisy that he’d take care of the baby and her, in every way that mattered, that she’d never have to struggle or feel as if she was alone in this endeavor, ever. But she’d just discovered that she was pregnant, and there was too much going on in her head right now, too many fears and doubts she needed to come to terms with before he bulldozed his way into her life.
As difficult as it might be, he’d give her that space, while investing the time to prove to Daisy that he wanted to take care of her, that it wasn’t an obligation because she was carrying his child but was based on his growing feelings for her. But she had to believe his intentions and not feel forced into them.
“It’s up to you if you want to be a part of this child’s life. But I will not allow you to ever make this child feel anything less than loved,” Daisy went on, a quiver in her voice now. “So, you have some things to think about, Mom, and when you’re ready to talk about this more civilly, and with the intention of being a loving grandparent, then I’m open to that discussion. In the meantime, I’ll just say good-bye.”
Before her mother could reply, Daisy reached out and disc
onnected the call, and by then she was visibly shaking and had tears in her eyes. Aiden didn’t hesitate to pull her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her.
“Ahh, sweetheart, don’t cry.” It killed him to see her like this.
She dashed away the moisture that rolled down her cheeks with her hand. “I’m crying because I’m so angry at my mom, and I’m hurt that she’d still be so damn bitter. And I shouldn’t be, because that conversation went exactly how I expected it to.”
He gently rubbed her back with the palm of his hand and kissed her forehead. “I’m proud of you. For standing up to your mom. For making it clear that you won’t accept anything less than unconditional love for our baby.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder, her eyes reflecting that emotional pain she’d lived with most of her life. “It’s the only way it can be, even if it means my mother not being a part of my life, because this baby’s well-being comes first.”
He understood, though he’d like to believe that her mother would eventually come around. “Good news, though,” he said, applying a cheerful note to his voice to lighten the mood. “I guarantee my family is going to love you when they meet you.”
She laughed lightly. “You can’t guarantee that.”
“Yes, I can,” he said with a grin. “Dylan is already a big fan of yours.”
“I like him,” she said softly. “He’s a nice guy.”
He thought about his brother’s intent to ask Daisy out on a date and wondered if he’d followed through on that plan. “Umm, has Dylan called you at all since the app presentation at the office?”
